It was a perfect winter’s night and a perfect night for the dinner gala that the Rich’s held every year around this time. The party was abuzz with the chatter of politicians, philanthropists, and many others who had enormous wealth and status. Par for the course, of course. This event was the brainchild of Spoiled Rich, a mauve earth pony with a flowing purple mane and a diamond ring as a cutie mark. A blue blood by birth but she swore it ran green. She clicked her glass with a spoon to get the room to quiet down. “Ahem! Welcome to our humble home, everyone!” The crowd cheered and applauded. “It’s that time again when we celebrate the blessing of life!”
“My wallet seems to think that that time comes more than just once a year.” her husband yelled from the back of the room. The whole room laughed. Filthy Rich wasn’t much for these large parties but he played his part well. He raised his punch glass in acknowledgment but the attention was soon back to his wife who had cleared her throat.
“And, of course, my husband who you all know and, I hope, love as much as I do. Well, hopefully not as much. He and I are married, after all!” The crowd roared with laughter and Spoiled searched the room for a particular someone. “Diamond? Diamond darling, where are you?” Diamond Tiara was the Rich’s adopted daughter. A young Spoiled had “rescued” Diamond as a newly born filly from an orphanage in Manehattan that was on the brink of closure. Spoiled didn’t care about her own countries laws. Who cared if it was fillynapping? If you paid off the right people, it was perfectly legal. The only thing that separated the wealthy from the common folk was numbers and commas.
Diamond stepped out from behind her and murmured, “I’m right here, Mother.” Like her father, Diamond was not much for the spotlight. At least not when she had to share it with her mother.
“Well come forward, won’t you?” Her mother beamed as Diamond took a few steps forward. Spoiled turned towards her audience. “A shy Rich! Can you imagine that?! I swear it’s like you aren’t even mine!” The crowd laughed and Diamond retorted about how she wasn’t Spoiled Rich’s actual daughter. Her mother ignored her and went on. “For those of you who are joining us for the first time, this is my daughter, Diamond Tiara. I saved her from a life of nothing and eating on the streets. Isn’t that just fabulous!” The crowd cheered while Diamond tried to smile and appear grateful. It didn’t work. Spoiled raised her punch glass in her hoof and was sloshing it around as she spoke. “Now, everyone, let’s eat, drink, and get this party started!” There was applause and Spoiled went to converse with her guests.
Her butler spoke, “Madam. The chef wanted to know when the main course should be served as you hadn’t indicted a time prior to this party.” Spoiled dropped her glass which caused it to shatter and spill its contents all over the floor. George, the faithful butler, had a tendency to appear when he was least expected.
Spoiled Rich looked at the broken and spilled contents on the floor then back at George. “You shouldn’t scare me like that! Scheduling takes the fun out of everything but I suppose it is almost 6 pm. I think 8 pm should be fine. Make sure to serve the aperitif immediately beforehand. And please do ring for the maid.”
“My apologies, madam. I will ring for the maid right away so she can clean up this mess. Again, I’m sorry for startling you” He pressed a button near him and rang the maid.
The maid, Rarity, who was a unicorn, trotted into the room and all eyes were instantly upon her. She was young and effortlessly beautiful. A pristine white coat and a perfect mane. Her cutie mark was three shiny diamonds. She quickly made her way over and began to sweep up the broken glass with her magic. The glass tinkled as the broom swept it up into the dustpan.
“Make sure to get every last piece, Rarity.” Spoiled grinned.
“Of course, ma’am, right away.” The unicorn said quickly.
“What did I say about calling me ‘ma’am’?” Spoiled asked angrily. She took her hoof and began smashing the glass into smaller pieces as she glared at her maid. Once she was satisfied, she gave the maid one last look of distaste and sauntered off to the other guests who were demanding her presence. The maid watched her go and briefly caught eyes with Diamond across the room who was giving her a sad look.
Meanwhile, Spoiled Rich was talking to the Veronica and Victor Alouette, two pegasi who were the owners of a very profitable toy and candy company. “Veronica and Victor Alouette! My two most trusted benefactors! I’m so glad you could make it. How are the children?”
Veronica spoke up first. “The children are fine. Left them with the butler. They honestly have no idea where we are. They probably think that we’re still at home. It wasn’t easy coming here with that awful snowstorm coming in. You would think that the weather ponies could have held off tonight but I did hear that a lot of ponies did want snow over their homes. I heard on the radio that one person wanted fourteen inches of snow covered their lawn! Can you believe that? Fourteen inc-”
She was cut off by her husband. “Veronica! I heard enough about the weather and you complaining about it in the cart on the way here. Don’t you think you could give it a break? Speaking of breaks, I need a break from my wife. Where’s Mayor Demeter?”
Veronica huffed. “And you tell me not to start!”
“I just have some ideas, that’s all. I don’t see what the big deal is. I’m just going to talk shop with a powerful man.”
His wife groaned. “He’s trying to change property taxes so he stops losing so much money on his dumb casino.”
“It isn’t dumb! I’m being robbed by the Princesses or at least someone in their court, I’m sure of it! I have names written down. I think.” He shot back.
Veronica glared at him. “I didn’t realize that I was married to Twilight Sparkle.”
Spoiled Rich cleared her throat. “Now, now. Let’s not tear each other’s throats out. We’re all here just to enjoy each other’s company and have a good time. Please don’t joke like that. My husband is still shaken up about this whole “Changeling” business.” She scanned the room for her husband. She spotted him among a small crowd who had gathered around their hired magician.
The azure coated unicorn had a deck of cards spread out on a table. “The Great and Powerful Trixie commands you to pick a card! Any card will do!” Filthy Rich took a card out from the deck. It was the Jack of Diamonds. “Now put it back in the deck and don’t let Trixie see it!” Filthy did just that and Trixie began to shuffle her cards with her magic. After a few moments of that, Trixie pulled out a card from the deck. “Is this your card?” Filthy rich shook his head no so Trixie put it face down and pulled out another one. “Is this one your card?” Another no so Trixie placed that one face down as well. She pulled another card from the deck. “Is this your card?” Another no so Trixie placed that card face down also. Filthy was getting tired of this charade and wondered when it would end. “Well, sir, if none of those three cards were your cards, then how do you explain this?” One by one, Trixie flipped over each card to reveal that, in fact, they were all Jack of Diamonds. The crowd cheered and applauded. Trixie took a bow soaking up all the attention she was getting.
“A trick deck for a tricky mare. Nothing all that magical about it.” Diamond Tiara scoffed. Her father scolded her for being rude but she just rolled her eyes and sipped at her punch. She sighed. “I’m going upstairs.” With that, she walked away.
Her mother noticed her daughter hastily leaving. She went to her husband. “What was that all about?” Her husband joked that it had something to do with the punch. She didn’t understand the joke. He had to explain that he was joking and that she was just being a moody teenager. Filthy Rich’s eyes moved over to where the maid was cleaning up a row of cups left behind. Spoiled Rich noticed. “Yes, well. Time passes for us all.”
Outside, the snow had started its assault, chunks of white exploding on the ground like missiles hitting their target. Veronica Alouette was worried. “See? I told you it was going to get worse! How are we supposed to leave and go home now? Maybe if we leave now, we can avoid the worst of it and get home in time so the kids don't worry.”
Her husband, Victor, rolled his eyes. “You know that Spoiled would never allow that. Besides, we haven’t even eaten yet. I’m hungry. Maybe once we finally get our food and eat it, the snow will slow down or stop.” His wife sighed and nodded. “Hold my drink. I need to use the restroom.” He wandered off to find the bathroom.
Someone was tapping a glass to get people’s attention. Everyone turned towards the sound. It was Spoiled Rich. “Attention everyone! It appears that the snowfall has turned into a snowstorm. Even if the roads become too precarious for a cart to drive in, don’t fret because you are all welcome here to stay until the storm subsides. We have plenty of space, food, heat, and blankets. Besides, I quite literally can’t afford to lose any of you.” This got a laugh out of the crowd. The lights in the room flickered and buzzed. Spoiled chuckled. “I’m going to get some candles, just in case.” She wandered off to find some and the guests chatted on, forks and spoons finding their way into hungry mouths, plates being purged of any and all food, glasses, cups clinking together, and the soft sound of someone playing a melody on the piano.
Until the power went out.
And then.
A Gunshot.
The guests were startled and were wondering what was happening. Some were even panicking.
The lights turned on and there was a shriek that sounded like it came from their gracious hostess. A few of the guests galloped over to the sound of the shriek.
In the Billiards room, everyone found an astonished Spoiled, standing over the dead, bleeding body of the formerly fabulous Great and Powerful Trixie, a bullet hole through her head, a silver pistol lying right beside her. Filthy rushed to his wife’s side. “What the hell happened here? Perhaps a suicide?”
Diamond Tiara smirked and joked. “Looks like she made her life disappear. Maybe another trick of hers.”
Her mother gasped. “Don’t be so rude, Diamond! A mare is dead and on the rug, I got from Prance too! How terrible!”
Just at that moment, the butler appeared behind her and tapped her shoulder. She shrieked again. “Again, my apologies. Madam, it appears that the phone lines are down. All I’ve been getting is a dial tone.”
Filthy spoke first. “Then how are we supposed to contact the Guard?”
Diamond spoke next. “We’re not meant to, I suppose.”
The third person who spoke was Rarity. “Should I take care of the-”
Before she could finish, Diamond interrupted her, “I wouldn’t touch it.”
“Dear Celestia! Is that-” Veronica Alouette pointed her hoof to where the gun lay. Everyone’s eyes followed. The pistol was engraved with the letters V.A. “Victor, why is your gun on the floor? Please tell me that you didn’t do this.”
Her husband searched frantically through his mane and then his pockets while his wife picked up the gun with her magic. “Of course I didn’t do it! I haven’t the faintest idea why it’s in here. I was in the restroom.” He said at last.
Diamond Tiara cackled. “Oh, I’m sure you were.” Her mother scolded her.
Veronica spoke up. “Victor, how did this mare get your gun?”
Diamond spoke again. “Maybe she didn’t.” This time, she was scolded by her father. “What? This party was so boring until now.”
Spoiled Rich gasped. “Boring?!”
Victor spoke before any other harsh words were brought to the table. “Trixie was a magician. Maybe she took it from me and I just didn’t notice until now?” He felt the prying eyes of the crowd as his wife slowly backed away from him. “Veronica, please don’t.”
Mrs. Alouette sighed. “I think I’m going to go lie down. Please excuse me.”
“Veronica, hold on!” Her husband went to go after her but Filthy Rich picked him up with a blue magical aura. The caught stallion shouted. “Filthy! What are you doing? Let me down!”
Filthy looked up at the struggling stallion. “Not until you calm down. I think it would be best if you stayed in here for now until we can contact the Guard and they arrive.”
Victor snorted. “You can’t possibly think that I had anything to do with this?”
Diamond made a snide remark and was told to go to her room. She trotted off and slammed the door once she got there. Everypony left in the Billiards room left it and Rarity locked the door.
The now muffled voice of Mr. Alouette spoke. “Wait! Please come back! I swear it wasn’t me!”
A red earth pony with a white mane who had hedge trimmers for a cutie mark spoke up. “I always knew that you couldn’t trust his kind of pony.” Prominent gardener for the Princess’ gardens, William Demeter sneered at the now muffled and locked up Victor Alouette.
His wife, Greta Demeter, was shocked. “William, don’t start this already. Please.”
William ignored her. “It’s bad enough that the world of Equestria is filled with scandal. The Elements of Harmony don’t do a damn thing in my eyes. Now, this unicorn is bringing chaos to what was supposed to be a nice, fun, and relaxing evening.”
Filthy growled. “We don’t know what happened or why. We won’t know that until we can get the Guard. And accusing a stallion of being a murderer just because of his race will not be tolerated in this household! As you can see, all kinds of ponies are welcome here.”
Mr. Demeter scoffed. “I like you, Filthy, but sometimes you make me sick. He is clearly a murderer. Should I just sit back and accept that too?”
There was a long pause before the dinner bell rang. Spoiled Rich was thankful for that and cleared her throat. “That must be the dinner bell if anyone is still hungry.” The crowd murmured and ponies started to leave. “Please. Don’t go!” She said frantically and followed the exiting crowd to the front doors of her house. Through the large windows by the front doors, everypony could see that the snow had piled up the windows half way already.
Greta sighed. “It’s too dangerous to go now.”
“I’d rather be out there than inside with a murderer!” Her husband scoffed and tried to open the doors. They were frozen shut.
Filthy Rich went over to his friend to calm him down. “William, relax. Let’s wait for the Guard to arrive to sort things out.” He turned to the crowd. “Until then, let us all go have some dinner and try to enjoy the rest of the night at least.”
“Yes, my wonderful and incredible husband does have a very good point. We have no idea how long this storm is going to last and we all need to eat at some point. So let’s do that and try to keep ourselves busy while we wait.” Spoiled gave her husband a loving kiss. Everypony gave them adoring gazes. Everypony except for the maid who turned her back at the ensuing affection in disgust and began to aggressively dust a table. Meanwhile, the partygoers filed back into the living room where plates of food had been laid out before them. They all began to sit down. There were scraping chairs, sounds of silverware on plates, chewing, clanging glasses, and punch being poured. After a few minutes, the festive raucousness of earlier died down to a low murmur which was one of Spoiled Rich’s worst fears. She sighed loudly enough for her husband to hear.
“What’s the matter, dear.” He replied.
“I really don’t know. This whole situation had made me feel rather ill.”
He thought for a bit. “Keep ponies spirits up. It’s what you do best. We’re going to be alright. How about we all play a game?” He kissed his wife and then turned to the crowd. “How does that sound to everyone?” The crowd murmured in agreement.
Spoiled spoke up. “How about charades? Why don’t I go first? I’ll act out something and all of you have to guess what it is. Ready?”
“What a wonderful idea, Spoiled!” Greta smiled. The crowd agreed and Spoiled began.
She held up two of her hooves.
“Two words.” Greta laughed. Spoiled nodded and then put her hooves on her waist. “A person.” Spoiled nodded again and grabbed an ornate black candlestick holder from the mantle and swung it a few times. “A baseball player?” Greta sighed. “I don’t know very many sports players. Why don’t you try, William dear?”
“Yogi Berra?” her husband begrudgingly asked.
The party guests started guessing different people until Spoiled Rich saw her maid, Rarity, and pulled her over until she was front and center. Spoiled pointed a hoof at Rarity’s horn and then began swinging again.
“Jackie Robinson!” One of the members of the party shouted.
“Yes!” Spoiled smiled. The crowd clapped and congratulated the guest. Spoiled continued. “Wasn’t that fun?” Rarity yanked herself away from the smiling woman and walked off to continue cleaning.
“For who? You can’t use props at all. Of any kind.” The voice was that of Diamond Tiara. Spoiled watched as her daughter crossed the room to her father. She could see her carrying on while Filthy nodded.
“Who else would like a turn? I’d like to check up on Veronica.” Spoiled went off in search of her friend.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, William Demeter chatted up the maid who was trying to clear up some of the empty plates. “Aren’t you just the sweetest little thing? You must be horrified by this whole ordeal.” He pawed at the frills of her uniform. The maid evaded his unwelcome touch. “Come on now. This is a party. I’m a powerful stallion. Isn’t there anything you want?” He tried to pull her closer.
“Certainly but not from you. Perhaps, sir, you should console your wife.” She scoffed and tried to leave but he grabbed her arm.
“You’re making a mistake.” He huffed.
“I suppose we’ll see about that.” Rarity yanked herself free and fled but not before being spotted by William’s wife Greta who had witnessed the whole thing as she flawlessly acted out charades.
Spoiled Rich made her way to the room where Mrs. Alouette was. “Veronica? Are you all right? You should really eat something, darling. The food is delightful.”
“How am I supposed to eat when my husband could be a killer?” The unicorn mare sobbed.
“You don’t know that yet. Could’ve been worse, couldn’t it? He could be the one who was dead.” Spoiled tried to console her friend.
Veronica sniffed. “I’d almost prefer it that way. You know, I always had a feeling about him. He was always very secretive with his business dealings. He could’ve been up to anything.”
“You don’t mean that. You’re just shaken up. Regardless, you still need to take care of yourself. Let’s go downstairs and get you something to eat. Maybe rejoining the party will help you.”
“You go on ahead. I just need a few more minutes of alone time.” Veronica gave her friend a weak smile.
The two hugged and Spoiled left her alone and went back downstairs. She noticed that the party seemed to be in full swing again, people desperate to forget that only a few feet away in a different room lay a dead mare and her supposed killer. She scanned the room and was pleased that her night was not yet a complete and total loss. She turned to the crowd. “In a few moments, the butler will come by with more cocktails. Please help yourselves and let him know if you need anything else.” The crowd murmured amongst themselves as Spoiled went and joined her husband who was seated at the grand piano playing a happy tune. She smiled. “Keeping their spirits up too, I see?”
Her husband chuckled. “I may not love these parties as much as you do but I do love you and want to keep you happy. It pains me to see you so upset.”
“What are we going to do? What if we’re trapped in here for days? The body will surely start to smell and what an awful smell that will be! And Victor! What are we going to do with him? You don’t think he actually did it, do you?” Spoiled Rich had started to panic. “And what about poor Veronica? What will become of her?”
“As much as I don’t want to believe he’s capable of such a thing, people have ways of surprising you. As for Veronica, she’s strong and resilient just like you. No matter what happens, she’ll be fine and so shall we.” He consoled his wife.
She pondered that for a while. “I suppose that you’re right.” At that moment there was the sound of a stallion stumbling and the sound of breaking glass. “Oh no.” Spoiled noticed a significantly drunker William harassing a newly emerged Veronica.
“You ponies are despicable! That’s what you are! Bunch of land stealers. No wonder you murder! You had to steal and murder to get where you are! It’s in your blood!” William slurred.
“Mr. Demeter, I find your comments rude and unneces-” Veronica started but William interrupted her.
“I don’t give a shit about what you find!” He hiccuped and continued. “You and all of your people can go to hell for all I care!”
Diamond Tiara spoke up at this point. “Unicorns don’t believe in hell.”
The drunken stallion turned to her. “Oh good. The little orphan has something to say. Shut up before you get whipped by your matron!”
“Now that is enough, William! Don’t you dare speak to my daughter that!” Spoiled shouted at him.
He scoffed. “Don’t you know who I am? I’m the most powerful man in this room! I could buy and sell all of you at the drop of a hat if I really wanted to!”
Filthy Rich hurried over to his friend and began to escort him away. “Let’s go take a breather, shall we?” The sounds of stumbling and footsteps could be heard as they faded away.
Spoiled turned to her daughter. “I’m so sorry, Diamond. Are you ok?”
“I hate your friends.”
The lights buzzed and Spoiled cleared her throat and turned to the frightened crowd. “I’m sorry, everypony. This storm is wreaking havoc on our electrical systems. Let me make sure that we’re on course for dessert.” At the word ‘dessert’, the crowd calmed down. Spoiled left. A few moments later, the power went out again. Everypony carried on as if nothing had happened knowing that there was nothing that they could do. When the lights finally came back on, their gracious hostess had returned. “Veronica, I know you’re upset but we do have to feed your husband.”
Mrs. Alouette gave her friend a disdainful look. “Do we have to?”
“I’ll come with you if it makes you feel any better. Besides, you’re the one with the gun now. Just remember that.” She chided her friend.
“You’re right. Ok, let’s go.”
The two women grabbed a plate of food and went to the room where Victor Alouette was quarantined. Spoiled grabbed the key from the china cabinet and unlocked the door. She pushed it open with a creak. She and Veronica screamed and the crowd came racing over. A familiar black ornate candlestick now sticky and red with blood lay next to the now dead of Victor Alouette.
Author's Note
Edited to put the two parts together. Next chapter will take a few weeks
